Monday Munchies: Grown-up Snacks

Sometimes it’s needed. Sometimes you just don’t want fruit cups, chips or popcorn. Sometimes you just need grown-up snacks. That was defintely the case this last Monday. I had the munchies and I wanted grown-up styled snacks. A little gourmet, a little upscale and a little more pretty.

This Monday Munchies called for cristinis, yummy kalamata toasted bread slices, dried fruits, nuts, olives, delicious spreads, and of course baked Brie! Paired with a divine white wine and I was set. Set out on a marble slab board, kind of felt like a soothing resort…until the sound of barking and children wafted into the room. Well, the grown-up snacks were good.

Ingredients:

1 round of Brie Cheese

1/4 cup of fruit spread such as apricot or fig (I used fig because I also had fresh apricots)

Fresh fruit – sliced apricots, sliced apples, sliced pear

1/2 cup of fresh cherries or fresh grapes

Dried fruit – mangos, apricot, apples, banana chips, pineapple

1/2 cup of dried meat such as salami, prochuitto, pepperoni

1/2 cup of olives – black, kalamata, green olives

1/4 cup of salted nuts – cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds

1/4 cup of honey roasted or toffee covered peanuts or cashews

10-15 small toasted cristinis

2-3 slices of a fun bread toasted and buttered – I used kalamata bread

Bottle of white wine – we used a semi-dry Chardonnay

Putting It All Together:

Bake the Brie

1. Preheat oven to bake at 375 degrees.

2. Unwrap and slice off the rine of the Brie. The rine is generally eatable as it is made of cheese that has just been dried and harden but many people find it doesn’t really taste good.

3. Slice and place into a bakable small dish such as a corningware ramekin.

4. Place in the oven to bake for about 7-12 minutes or until bubbly but not completely melted.

5. Remove and serve.

Preparing the Rest of the Snacks

1. Pull out a marble slab or large flat tray. I happen to have a candy making marble board that I prefer t use as it keeps cold foods colder and oddly warm foods warm. Plus, it looks really cool or gourmet like.

2. Put the fruit spread in a small ramekin with a small spoon for serving.

3. Toast, butter and slice into strips your fun bread. I bought this fresh and aromatic kalamata bread at the farmer’s and it seemed to pair well with the rest of the snacks. But you can use a sweet bread such as apple cinnamon.

4. Place the baked Brie in the center. Make sure to add a small spread knife for serving. Place cristinis close to the Brie. Add the toasted and sliced bread as well.

5. Place the two nuts together and within easy reach without having to touch other food items to get them.

6. Place the fruit spread ramekin to the back, followed by fresh fruit slices, dried fruits, and “pick-able” fruit suit asgrapes or cherries. I like cherries because they are easy for people to grape and require very little prep work.

7. Add dried sliced meats any olives and serve. Make sure to drain the olives of juice so they don’t leak all over the place.

8. Pair with a chilled white wine such as a Chardonnay or Pinoto Grigio.